Trash compactor with lifter

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a trash compacting device having a compacting plate normally moveable in a vertical position for compacting trash placed within a housing into containers or the like and having a container supporting member having a base upon which the container will normally rest which base has upwardly extending arms, normally extending over the height of the box or container with retractable and extendable arm members arranged on the upper most surface of the compacting plate for engagement with these extending arms such that after the container has been filled, extension of the arms will lock the container supporting member to the compacting plate such that it may be elevated and which invention also includes a door in a selected portion of the housing moveable upwardly and downwardly therein with an additional extendable and retractable door engaging element mounted on the upper surface of the compacting plate such that when the lifting device is elevating the filled container the door will be opening such that a filled container may be easily pushed from the housing at an elevated position such that the same may be delivered through a delivery chute exteriorly of the machine.

United States Patent 1 Fox 11 3,748,820 [451' July 31, 1973 TRASH COMPACTOR WITH LIFTER [76] Inventor: Anthony Fox, 8306 Queen Ave.

South, Bloomington, Minn. 55423 [22] Filed: Apr. 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 245,363

[52] US. Cl. 53/124 B, 100/229 A [51] Int. Cl B65b H24 [58] Field of Search 53/124 B; 100/229 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,601,953 8/1971 Boyd 53/124 B 3,602,136 8/1971 Ligh 53/124 B X Primary Examiner-Travis McGehee AttorneyJames R. Cwayna ABSTRACT- This invention relates to a trash compacting device having a compacting plate normally moveable in a vertical position for compacting trash placed within a housing into containers or the like and having a container supporting member having a base upon which the container will normally rest which base has upwardly extending arms, normally extending over the height of the box or container with retractable and extendable arm members arranged on the upper most surface of the compacting plate for engagement with these extending arms such that after the container has been 7 filled, extension of the arms will lock the container sup- 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 PATENIH} JUL 31 I975 SHEEI 2 0F 2 III FIG.2 "*3 FIG.4

FIG.6'

TRASH COMPACTOR WITH LIFTER Applicant has provided a trash compacting device incorporating many new features and which forms the.

subject of an U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 122,077, filed Mar. 8, 1971, Entitled TRASH -COMPACTOR. This compactor performs all of its desired functions but applicant has provided herein a new and unique improvement on this compacting device which provides for an ease of removal of the compacted trash from the unit.

The device basically includes the same operative devices as incorporated in the aforementioned trash compactor but in addition-thereto provides for a means of elevating the compacted trash with an elevated delivery door forming an opening in the housing to permit the operator to simply push the package of compacted material out of the container and into a receiving chute or the like. With applicants concept the delivery door is provided at an elevated location such that the chute may be placed at a slanted relationship thereto and therefore the packaged material will easily be delivered therefrom. With applicants device it is possible to arrange the compacting unit with the elevating device and the elevating door adjacent an exterior wall of the building and provide a door through the building for external delivery of the compacted material.

It is therefore an object of applicants inventionto provide a trash compactor or the like which incorporates means for lifting the compacted trash such that the user is not required to lift the same from the unit.

It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a trash compactor or the like having means therein for lifting and elevating a package containing compacted trash for delivery from the compactor from and elevated position and including a door mechanism cooperatively asspcoated with the lifting means'to open when the package isbeing elevated to a delivery position adjacent the door.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar part throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trash compacting device incorporating the concepts of applicant's invention and illustrating therefore a delivery system for the compacted trash which may be compacted therein and delivered therefrom;

FIG. 2 is a vertical view taken substantially along Line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along Line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along the same Line as the view of FIG. 3-3 and illustrating the lifting device in its upper position; I

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially along Line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating a modified form of the actuating mechanism.

In accordance with the accompanying drawings a compacting device is generally designated 10. This device includes a housing defining a lower trash receiving and compacting portion 12 and an upper operating or power section 13. The lower receiving and compacting section 12 is provided with a main door member 14 which main door is also provided with a trash filling door 15. The principal concept of the compactor 10 is to provide a compacting plate 16 powered through hydraulic ram means or the like which may be connected to the comprising plate 16 through connecting elements 17a, 17b for the ultimate compaction of trash placed in area 12. The obvious function of this compacting device is to provide a means for compacting trash and other disposables which is accomplished by providing a receiving box B placed into the compacting area 12 and when the door 14 is closed to insert trash I into the box B through the trash receiving door 15 shere it will be directed into the box B and then to peridically cycle the compacting plate 16 to compact the trash therein and therefore allow room for additional trash to be inserted for compaction. It is not this concept that necessarily forms a portion of the invention, as this operation may, as disclosed thus far, be considered to be old in the art and which further is fully disclosed in the application for United States Letters Patent mentioned above.

The inventive portion of applicants invention resides in a means for easily disposing of the, compacted trash within the box B without requiring that the user necessarily lift the same from the compacting area. In order to afford this ease of removal applicant provides a com plete-system for arranging for the delivery of the filled boxes from the unit 10 by providing, as particularly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 a secondary removal door which is positioned in the rear side 20 of the housing and lying at least partially within the compacting area 12. In the form shown in these figures the rear wall is provided with a door receiving vertically extending passage 21 which extends upwardly from the compacting area 12 into at least a portion of the operative and controlled area 13 such that the door opening 22 will be elevated above the floor 23 of the unit. The door 24 is, in the form shown, .a simple slidable member having a latch receiving aperture 25 at a lower extremity thereof such that va latch element may be received therein and upon elevation of the latch element the door will be opened to expose the opening 22 such that the box of now compacted material may be pushed rearwardly through such opening 22. After the box has been removed in such fashion the door 24 will again be lowered into its closed position.

Applicant's drawings illustrate an entire concept for removal of such trash including its removal from a building. In the concept illustrated a building wall W is provided with an aperture A therethrough in alignment with the afore mentioned door aperture 22 and a delivery chute C, which chute forms the subject matterof an additional application, is provided in alignment therewith. This chute C extends outwardly from the building andthe boxes B of compacted trash are simply pushed from the unit into this chute where they may be stored for ultimate collection by a trash hauler.

In order to elevate the boxes B to the elevated opening 22 in the housing it'is necessary to provide a lifting mechanism for such articles. In the form shown applicant provides a substantially U-shaped lifting element 25 which consists of a bottom 26 and a pair of upstanding side elements 27, 28. Obviously the width and size of this lifting device 25 must be one which will accomodate the boxes B and which has its forward and rear sides open to permit ease of insertion and delivery of the box containing the compacted material. Arranged at the upper ends of the upstanding sides 27, 28 are a pair of apertures 27a, 28a arranged and constructed to receive certain lifting elements which are designed to engage such apertures 27a, 28a.

In order to perform the lifting function, a lifting device generally designated 30 is arranged on the upper surface of the compacting plate 16 which therefore will be raised and lowered with the compacting plate 16 to perform, when properly actuated, a dual lifting function. This dual function is to provide lifting of the lifting element 25 with the compacted trash contained in the box B thereon and simultaneously engaging with the aperture 25 of the door 24 to likewise lift this door thereby exposing the rear delivery opening 22. When this lifting is completed, and upon opening of the door 14 is operatpr will simply push the compacted trash contained in the box B through the opening 22 and into the receiving chute C.

In the form shown two individual operative forms are disclosed for the door engaging and lifting device engagement.

The first of these forms is particularly illustrated in the plan view of FIG. wherein a plurality of transversely spaced support elements designated 31, 32 and similar, longitudinally spaced supports 33 are provided to provide support for extendable engagement elements designated respectively 34, 35 for the elements which are designed to engage the lifting device and 36 for the extensible element designed to engage the door 24 for lifting the same. All of these elements are directed inwardly to a control link 37 which is provided with an operative handle 38 for rotation thereof. This control link 37 is obviously pivoted fo rotation and likewise the connective ends of the extensible elements 34, 35, 36 are properly connected thereto such that a straight line motion will be effected upon rotation of the control link 37. This particular arrangement is only one such mechanical arrangement which will permit this straight line motion while providing rotation of the control link and other such connective arrangements are well known in the art. Obviously the function of these aextensible members 34, 35, 36, control link 37 and handle 38 is to provide extension and retraction of the extensible members 34, 35, 36 upon rotation of the handle 38 such that the same will engage the lifting element 25 and the door 24 for simultaneous elevation.

The second form providing movement for the extensible members is illustrated in FIG. 6 and again transverse supports 40, 41 and longitudinal supports 42 are provided on the upper surface of the compacting plate 16 to permit extensible members 43, 44 and 45 to pass therethrough, both side ways and rearwardly to engage the lifting element 25 and the door 24. These three elements again are attached to a control link 46 which control link is, in this particular form, controlled by an actuating member such as a hydraulic cylinder, electrical solenoid or the like. This actuating member 47 is provided with an actuating rod 47a attached to a control lever 48 which control lever 48 is obviously connected to the control link 46. Upon energization of the actuating member 47 the extensible members 43, 44, 45 will either be extended into attachment position or retracted into compacting position. Again in this second form, straight line movement of the extensible members 43, 44, 45 must be provided for in their attachment to the control link 46.

In either form of the attachment device illustrated the operation is obviously the same. Initially the empty box B is inserted into the compacting area 12 where it will rest upon the lifting device 25. The main door 14 is then closed and trash is inserted therein through the filling door 15 where it is compacted by lowering of the compacting plate 16 thereagainst. During compacting the extensible elements on the upper surface of the compacting plate are in retracted position to permit the same to move downwardly and upwardly. After the box B is sufficiently full, either the automatic or manual means for lifting the filled box may be utilized. Obviously in either instance the cover of the box is closed and the compacting plate 16 is lowered to a position where the extensible elements carried thereon will properly engage the receiving apertures in the lifting device 25 and the door 24 and thereafter the elements are extended and the compacting plate 16 lifted. At the upper end of the compactor plate stroke, the door 24 will now be elevated to a position to exposethe aperture 22 and the operator is able to push the filled box from the lifting device. Although the applicant illustrates a receiving chute to receive the filled box, it is obvious that the box B may be pushed onto any sort of receiving hand truck or the like. The unit is then lowered and the extensible elements retracted to allow the door 24 to be closed and the lifting device 25 to be again positioned on the floor 23 of the unit,

Although applicant has illustrated a unitary operation for both the elevation of the door and the compacted trash it should be obvious that other means could be incorporated to provide separate actions therefore and additional locking elements could be provided for the door 24 such that it would be impossible to lift this door and gain access to the interior of the unit unless such access were desired.

It should be obvious that applicant has provided a new and unique improvement for compacting devices which will aid in the emptying of the same without requiring lifting of the box of compacted trash.

What I claim is:

1. An improvement in compacting units, which units includes a housing, a compacting plate vertically moveable in the housing with means for moving the plate and access means from one side of the housing said improvement including:

a. a lifting member defining a bottom support plate to receive a container thereon, and an attachment means defined on said plate; and,

b. controllable attachment elements carried by the compacting plate shiftable from a first position to permit compacting movement of the plate to a second position to engage said attachment means whereby said lifting member and the container thereon may be elevated.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and door means defining in the housing on the side opposite the access means at an elevation to be in alignment with thesupport plate if said lifting member when the same is in elevated position.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 and said door means being arranged and constructed to open in response to the elevation of said lifting member.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2 and:

a. said door means being arranged for vertical sliding movement; and,

b. said controllable attachment elements carried by the compacting plate including a door engaging element for lifting and lowering the same.

5. The structure set forth in claim 1 and said attachment means on said support plate including upstanding ments arranged for transverse movement on the upper surface of the compacting plate and link and control means arranged for shifting said rod elements.

7. The structure set forth in claim 6 and said control means including manually operable handle means. 

1. An improvement in compacting units, which units includes a housing, a compacting plate vertically moveable in the housing with means for moving the plate and access means from one side of the housing, said improvement including: a. a lifting member defining a bottom support plate to receive a container thereon, and an attachment means defined on said plate; and, b. controllable attachment elements carried by the compacting plate shiftable from a first position to permit compacting movement of the plate to a second position to engage said attachment means whereby said lifting member and the container thereon may be elevated.
 2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and door means defining in the housing on the side opposite the access means at an elevation to be in alignment with the support plate if said lifting member when the same is in elevated position.
 3. The structure set forth in claim 2 and said door means being arranged and constructed to open in response to the elevation of said lifting member.
 4. The structure set forth in claim 2 and: a. said door means being arranged for vertical sliding movement; and, b. said controllable attachment elements carried by the compacting plate including a door engaging element for lifting and lowering the same.
 5. The structure set forth in claim 1 and said attachment means on said support plate including upstanding side element having means for engaging said attachment elements at the upper ends thereof.
 6. The structure set forth in claim 5 and said controllable attachment means including a pair of rod elements arranged for transverse movement on the upper surface of the compacting plate and link and control means arranged for shifting said rod elements.
 7. The structure set forth in claim 6 and said control means including manually operable handle means. 